Let’s clear something up: yes, I use AI for some things—but never for creating or altering the actual image. What you see in your gallery? That was really there. Real people, real moments, real light. The AI I use is behind-the-scenes stuff—tools that help me work faster, keep things consistent, and clean up distractions (like that fire hydrant sticking out of someone’s head). It helps me deliver the same bold, beautiful work you came to me for—without losing any of the realness.
Here’s how that works in practice:
1. Aftershoot: Smarter Culling So You’re Not Waiting Weeks
After a wedding, portrait session, or brand shoot, I come home with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of images. That’s where Aftershoot steps in. It’s an AI-powered assistant that helps me cull through the gallery, flagging closed eyes, duplicates, blurry shots, and picking the strongest frames.
I still go through and do a final pass myself (no robot decides what story I’m telling), but Aftershoot helps cut the time way down, so you’re not left waiting.
I’m also a chronic overshooter because I don’t want to miss a thing. This just adds to culling, which is the thing I enjoy least about my chosen career.
Technically, both Aftershoot and Imagen can handle culling and editing these days—but that’s not how I use them. I started with Aftershoot for culling and Imagen for editing, back when each of them did those things exclusively. I’ve invested the time to train them both to match my workflow and style, and they’re dialed in exactly as I like them. It works for me, and honestly? I’m not about to run another 30,000 edited images through Aftershoot just to recreate what Imagen already nails. If it’s not broken, I won’t fix it. But if you are looking into a culling and editing assistant, you can just start with one or the other now.
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I’d rather spend that time ensuring the images I deliver to you are gorgeous.
Imagen is the second AI tool I use—this one helps with editing. It learns my style, based on tnes of thousands of images I’ve already hand-edited. That means you get a gallery with consistent tones, colors, and lighting that match my signature look: bold, honest, and Pacific Northwest magic.
But make no mistake—I still pour over every single image to make sure it meets my standards. Imagen gives me a strong, consistent base, but I’m the one making the final calls. Every image gets my eyes on it before it lands in your gallery.
3. Evoto: Retouching That Doesn’t Erase the Real You
When it comes to retouching, I lean into natural—not plastic. Evoto is an AI-based retouching program that helps smooth out distractions like shine or blemishes without making you look like a different person. I’m not interested in creating “perfect”—I’m here for the real, beautiful, confident you.
Plus, it makes editing those crazy little hair strands super easy, especially when there is an environmental background that you don’t want to mess up. Those use to take me FOREVER.
And if you have a rogue zit or have a flyaway hair day? I’ve got it covered.
Finally, I use good ol’ Photoshop for more detailed edits—like removing the random person strolling through the scene. AI helps with these tools too (hello, generative fill), but again: I’m not adding anything in. Just cleaning up what doesn’t belong.
This is where artistry meets intention. I keep the moment intact, just dial down the distractions.
Adobe is the industry standard for us photographers. A majority of my work is done in Lightroom. Photoshop is used in the times where I need to adjust things just a tad bit more.
Oh—and One More Thing: Grammar
I also use AI to help clean up my writing. Fun fact: I come from an engineering background. So without a little grammar-checking assistance, you’d probably be reading something closer to a technical spec sheet than a blog post. AI helps me say things clearly and conversationally, so the message doesn’t get buried in bullet points and acronyms.
Walking the Line Between AI and Art
Using AI in photography is a balancing act—and I’m intentional about where I draw the line. These tools help me streamline the tedious parts of the job so I can focus on what matters: telling real, bold stories with care and craft. But I don’t hand over the creative reins. Every image still gets my time, my eye, and my judgment.
I’m not here to replace the art with automation—I’m here to use tech as a tool, not a shortcut. It lets me deliver high-quality work faster, without compromising on what makes it mine.
And let’s be real: a lot of the AI out there today is trained on stolen work—scraping from artists without consent or credit. That’s not how I operate. I’m not using AI to generate fake skies, composite someone else’s style, or pass off someone else’s vision as my own. What I deliver is rooted in the moment, crafted with intention, and entirely mine.
That thin line between AI and art? I walk it with purpose—and your photos are better for it.
Want to know more about my process? Check out some of my other blog posts!
